Public Act 097-0085
 
HB3597 EnrolledLRB097 06493 RLJ 46576 b


  
    AN ACT concerning local government.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



 
 
    Section 5. The Metropolitan Transit Authority Act is 
amended by changing Section 30 as follows:
 



    (70 ILCS 3605/30)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 330)



    Sec. 30. 
The Board shall make all rules and regulations 
governing
the operation of the transportation system, shall 
determine all routings
and change the same whenever it is 
deemed advisable by the Board,
subject to the provisions of any 
ordinance granting rights to the
Authority. Except as provided 
in Sections 2.04 and Section 4.11(b)(5) of the "Regional 
Transportation
Authority Act", the Board shall fix rates, fares 
and charges for
transportation, provided that they shall be at 
all times sufficient in
the aggregate to provide revenues (a) 
for the payment of the interest on
and principal of all bonds, 
certificates and other obligations payable
from said revenues 
and to meet all other charges upon such revenues as
provided by 
any trust agreement executed by the Authority in connection

with the issuance of bonds or certificates under this Act, (b) 
for the
payment of all operating costs including all charges 
which may be
incurred pursuant to Sections 29 and 39 of this 
Act and all other costs
and charges incidental to the operation 
of the transportation system,
(c) for the payment of all costs 
and charges incurred pursuant to
Sections 37 and 38 of this Act 
and any other costs and charges for
acquisition, installation, 
construction or for replacement or
reconstruction of 
equipment, structures or rights of way not financed
through 
issuance of bonds or certificates under Section 12 of this Act,

and (d) for any compensation required to be paid to any 
municipality for
the use of streets, subways and other public 
ways.  The Board may
provide free transportation within any 
municipality in and by which they
are employed for firemen and 
public health nurses, when in uniform, and
policemen when in 
uniform or, when not in uniform, upon presentation of

identification as policemen, and shall provide free 
transportation to
sworn law enforcement personnel of the Cook 
County Sheriff's Department
when in uniform or, when not in 
uniform, upon presentation of
identification as sworn law 
enforcement personnel of the Cook County
Sheriff's Department, 
and may provide free transportation for employees
of the 
Authority when in uniform or upon presentation of 
identification
as such employees, and may enter into agreements 
with the United States
Post Office Department for the 
transportation of mail, and the payment
of compensation to the 
Authority in lieu of fares for the transportation
of letter 
carriers, when in uniform at all times.

    The Board may also provide free transportation, or 
transportation at
reduced fares, to all or designated classes 
of pupils in attendance at
public schools of school districts 
within or partly within the
territorial limits of the 
Authority, or in attendance at private schools
offering grades 
of instruction comparable to those offered in public
schools, 
under such conditions as shall be prescribed by the Board, and,

if otherwise authorized by law, the Board may contract with 
public
school boards and representatives of private schools, 
for reimbursement
of pupil transportation costs from public 
funds.

(Source: P.A. 83-886.)

 
    Section 10. The Regional Transportation Authority Act is 
amended  by changing Section 2.04 and adding Sections 2.35, 
2.37,  3B.20, and 3B.25 as follows:
 



    (70 ILCS 3615/2.04)  (from Ch. 111 2/3, par. 702.04)


    Sec. 2.04. Fares and Nature of Service. 
    (a) Whenever a Service Board provides any public 
transportation by
operating public transportation facilities, 
the Service Board
shall provide for the level and nature of 
fares or charges to be made for
such services, and the nature 
and standards of public transportation to
be so provided that 
meet the goals and objectives adopted by the Authority in the 
Strategic Plan.  Provided, however that if the Board adopts a 
budget and
financial plan for a Service Board in accordance 
with the provisions in
Section 4.11(b)(5), the Board may 
consistent with the terms of any purchase
of service contract 
provide for the level and nature of fares
to be made for such 
services under the  jurisdiction of that Service Board,
and the 
nature and standards of public transportation to be so 
provided.

    (b) Whenever a Service Board provides any public 
transportation
pursuant to grants made after June 30, 1975, to 
transportation agencies
for operating expenses (other than 
with regard to experimental programs)
or pursuant to any 
purchase of service agreement, the purchase of service

agreement or grant contract shall provide for the level and 
nature of fares
or charges to be made for such services, and 
the nature and standards of
public transportation to be so 
provided.  A Service Board
shall require all transportation 
agencies with which it contracts, or from
which it purchases 
transportation services or to which it makes grants to
provide 
half fare transportation for their student riders if any of 
such
agencies provide for half fare transportation to their 
student riders.

    (c) In so providing for the fares or charges and the nature 
and standards of
public transportation, any purchase of service 
agreements or grant contracts
shall provide, among other 
matters, for the terms or cost of transfers
or interconnections 
between different modes of transportation and
different public 
transportation agencies, schedules or routes of such
service, 
changes which may be made in such service, the nature and

condition of the facilities used in providing service, the 
manner of
collection and disposition of fares or charges, the 
records and reports
to be kept and made concerning such 
service, for interchangeable
tickets or other coordinated or 
uniform methods of collection of
charges, and shall further 
require that the transportation agency comply with any 
determination made by the Board of the Authority under and 
subject to the provisions of Section 2.12b of this Act. In 
regard to any such service, the Authority and the Service

Boards shall give
attention to and may undertake programs to 
promote use of public
transportation and to provide coordinated 
ticket sales and passenger
information. In the case of a grant 
to a transportation agency which
remains subject to Illinois 
Commerce Commission supervision and
regulation, the Service 
Boards shall exercise the powers
set forth in this
Section in a 
manner consistent with such supervision and regulation by
the 
Illinois Commerce Commission.
    (d) By January 1, 2013, the Authority, in consultation with 
the Service Boards and the general public, must develop a 
policy regarding transfer fares on all fixed-route public 
transportation services provided by the Service Boards.  The 
policy shall also set forth the fare sharing agreements between 
the Service Boards that apply to interagency fare passes and 
tickets. The policy established by the Authority shall be 
submitted to each of the Service Boards for its approval or 
comments and objection.  After receiving the policy, the Service 
Boards have 90 days to approve or take other action regarding 
the policy.  If all of the Service Boards agree to the policy, 
then a regional agreement shall be created and signed by each 
of the Service Boards.
The terms of the agreement may be 
changed upon petition by any of the Service Boards and by 
agreement of the other Service Boards.
    (e) By January 1, 2015, the Authority must develop and 
implement a regional fare payment system.  The regional fare 
payment system must use and conform with established 
information security industry standards and requirements of 
the financial industry.  The system must allow consumers to use 
contactless credit cards, debit cards, and prepaid cards to pay 
for all fixed-route public transportation services. Beginning 
in 2012 and each year thereafter until 2015, the Authority must 
submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly 
describing the progress of the Authority and each of the 
Service Boards in implementing the regional fare payment 
system. The Authority must adopt rules to implement the 
requirements set forth in this Section. 

(Source: P.A. 95-708, eff. 1-18-08.)

 
    (70 ILCS 3615/2.35 new)
    Sec. 2.35. Vehicle arrival information. By July 1, 2012, 
all Service Boards must make available web-based, real-time 
vehicle arrival information for use by riders for all 
fixed-route public transportation services.  The Authority 
shall have access to all universally acceptable data feeds for 
vehicle arrival information. 
 
    (70 ILCS 3615/2.37 new)
    Sec. 2.37. Wireless Internet study. By January 1, 2012, the 
Authority must prepare and submit a report to the Governor and 
General Assembly regarding the feasibility of providing 
wireless Internet services on all fixed-route public 
transportation services.
 
    (70 ILCS 3615/3B.20 new)
    Sec. 3B.20. Wireless Internet. The Commuter Rail Board must 
provide wireless Internet service on all passenger trains it 
owns or operates by January 1, 2012, but only if the service 
can be provided with no cost to the Commuter Rail Division.
 
    (70 ILCS 3615/3B.25 new)
    Sec. 3B.25. Automated external defibrillators. The 
Commuter Rail Board must conduct a study concerning the 
installation and use of automated external defibrillators on 
passenger trains operated by the Commuter Rail Board. No later 
than one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act 
of the 97th General Assembly, the Commuter Rail Board must 
report to the Governor and the General Assembly the results of 
the study. For the purposes of this Section, "automated 
external defibrillator" has the meaning ascribed to that term 
in Section 10 of the Automated External Defibrillator Act.
  
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.